Still smiling…and doing lots of painting!

I’m still here! I’ve spent a lot of this year finding my path, trying new things, and meeting some new people (including one very special one). As the year wraps up, I find things are coming together. This year has been an adventure…one I wouldn’t trade for anything! I have grown and learned so much both personally and professionally and I didn’t go broke doing it.

This year I got my feet wet as I dove into my business and left the corporate world behind. Yes, I floundered a bit but that was expexted. I have gained many new clients and repeat clients (LOVE that)! I’ve done murals and faux finishes, drawings and carpentry…and lots of furniture! I was pursued by a new vintage store opening up and with a little negotiating, landed a great deal for a space in their store for my painted furniture and other items. There’s been delays in the store opening but hopefully the store will be open and in full swing by the New Year! I plan to continue to grow and expand and have lots of tricks up my sleeve for the coming months so stay tuned!

I’ll try and share more often as I settle in to a routine and my new life. In the meantime, here are some of this year’s projects:

Bathroom redo “Before” & “After”: Room updated with painted cabinets and a custom mirror frame

Mural accents in a little girl’s “Princess” room: Painted shutters and a window box

Custom Painted Furniture: Coffee table “Before” & “After”

Kitchen redo “Before” & “After”: 3 Dimensional Faux Stonework done with paint and plaster

Summer fun! Redesign your kid’s room!

The kids will all be done with school this week and will soon be begging for something to do. Why not let them redesign their bedrooms? Kids of any age can give their input and believe me, having two daughters and having worked with kids for several year I KNOW they have their opinions on what they like and what they don’t. Designing their bedroom is such a fun and creative outlet and it really is a HUGE deal to give them a say in how their room looks.

Depending on age, maturity, and artistic talent, I can work at their level of involvement. I can help them get their ideas on paper and then implement the design. I know some parents get concerned over their child’s choices. “You want a BLACK wall??” “How many colors are you using??” “Are you going to be tired of this in a year??” Well that’s where I come in. By working together, we can come up with a plan that works. And remember, it’s only paint!

A room design or redesign doesn’t have to break the bank either. If your child has a favorite character that you’re afraid they’ll grow out of in a year or two, then maybe character bedding and some framed artwork or a couple mural accents (instead of a full room mural) would work. Paint the walls in one or two colors from the bedding for a cohesive design. If your child is older and wants something a little more sophisticated, there are several things you can do: paint the wood furniture white or black to tie all of the pieces together, paint the walls in colors of their choice (sports, school, or favorite colors), make custom canvas paintings, frame prints, paint their closet doors with chalkboard paint, paint an accent wall with either a faux finish or a special design. The possibilities really are endless!

Custom Name Mural

Closet doors painted with chalkboard paint

A Full Room Mural

I can help with every step from the planning, measuring, drawing, artwork, murals, to the implementation of a full design. I will be there for as much or as little as you need. And the really amazing part is when your child says: “This was MY idea!” or “This is just what I wanted!” or even “I helped to design my own room!” Now THAT is a pretty awesome gift!

I hope you all enjoy your summer! Go make some wonderful memories!

Newest Belly Cast

Here is my latest belly cast:

Blue & Bronze Metallic Belly Cast

Blue & Bronze Metallic Belly Cast

I was asked to bring in a photo album and business cards to Destination Maternity where the cast was made so I’m hoping it will bring a little more business my way ~ fingers crossed.

Tips for saving money & ideas to update your home with paint

Well, here are my latest articles. I have an artist profile I need to finish and publish also but I’ve been SO busy!

Save money on art, crafts, and home improvement materials Great resources here. Some are new to me such as Habitat for Humanity Restore ~ I think that may be a great one for after our move!

10 ways to improve your home with paint Some ideas to spruce up your home using the ever versatile material ~ PAINT!

Faux finished accent wall

Oh, I’ve also added more items to my Bonanza shop: Renaissance Home’s Booth

This and That

Here are my articles from the last week and a half:

Young Rembrandts: Children’s art classes ~ This is the company I teach my art classes for!

West Valley artist profile: Edward Dennis ~ Another great West Valley artist!

…And I finished the lower cabinets in the kitchen and I’m ready to start on the top. Here’s a pic:

My Kitchen Cabinets

 

Last weeks published articles, a new belly cast, and the Grand Canyon

Well here are the TWO articles I published last week.

B. Love is a very interesting woman and a great artist; check her out:

West Valley artist profile: Barbara Sue Love Newport

This article may look familiar:

Kitchen island redo on a budget

That’s all I wrote last week. I had a last minute belly cast to do…

And…we decided to head north for a night to go camping where it’s cooler and stop by the Grand Canyon. We hadn’t been there in about 8 years and my daughters were too young to remember.  The was quite chilly and we were at the Grand Canyon for close to two hours when we got caught in a downpour! We had to run for our vehicle and ended up drenched but did get to see alot of the canyon so it was all good. Here’s a couple pics…

Grand Canyon

Grand Canyon

This past weeks articles…

Some great classes here in the West Valley. Wish I had some extra money to take one or two…

West Valley community college drawing classes for fall 2010

West Valley community college art classes for fall 2010

And a column that goes along with these classes…

The decorative arts, past and present 

I hope to get an artist profile or two for this week. Never got to it last week. I’m blaming it on my birthday!

This weeks articles…and a very cool face cast!

Here are this week articles:

West Valley places to see: Glendale ~ Glendale has SO many great places to see year round. I took my daughters to the Bead Museum last week. It was very cool.

West Valley artist profile: Jim Bryant ~ Self-taught illustrator with a long, successful career!

Belly and body casting: a new design trend ~ The belly casts are always cool but other cast options are also available. Here’s one of a little boys face:

This weeks published articles ~ enjoy

Here are this weeks published articles:

West Valley artist profile: Kyle “Smash Nash” As promised, my first artist profile. Check him out!

Summer classes offered by the West Valley Art Council Some great classes here for the locals ~ held in Marley Park, Surprise

10 easy ways to give a cookie-cutter home style and originality Because of the housing boom where builders churned out endless tract houses, this article is relevent across the nation not just here in the Southwest.

Enjoy and I’ll be back soon with my personal endeavors.

My writing…this week and beyond

Here are this weeks articles:

Decorating with the colors of the Southwest: Where to use them, what they mean (part 1)

Decorating with the colors of the Southwest: Where to use them, what they mean (part 2)

Upcoming and ongoing events in the West Valley ~ this includes art walks, exhibits, festivals, etc…

I am also excited to announce that I will start local artist profiles this week. There are some great artists here in the West Valley and I can’t wait to share them with you!

I’m also looking forward to sharing with all of you some great places to visit whether you live here or are planning a visit. I’m finding things I didn’t even know about ~ and I’ve lived here for almost 16 years.